My Brother's Last Words
by Tora Newton
Summary: Minutes before his execution, Commander Betrayus's final request is to speak with his brother one more time… (One-Shot. Stratos Spheros's POV, from before he was president.)


"My Brother's Last Words"

by Tora Newton Y.

* * *

><p>"Betrayus Spheros, you have been found guilty of treason, genocide, and ancillary war crimes against this world. Your sentence, which you face today, is execution."<p>

The man in the black mask spoke into the intercom, projecting into the chamber behind the glass in front of us. For a moment, his eyes turned back to me.

"However, as per your last request," he continued, "your brother is here to speak with you."

As I stepped forward, I did my best not to hesitate, despite the truth that in the chamber ahead… was my younger brother, strapped into the pod-shaped electric chair, his head hung and his expression darkly blank.

I looked up at the digital number display on the wall, which counted down until the execution was set to automatically commence. There wasn't much time left.

The masked man stepped aside, allowing me use of the intercom. As I spoke into it, I kept my unease hidden behind a veil of composure.

"What is it, Betrayus?" I asked, my tone purposefully distant and not displaying my confusion as to why, of all the things my brother could have requested...

He chose to spend the last few minutes of his life talking to me.

"Stratos… dear brother…"

I heard his desperate voice over a wall-mounted speaker, while I watched him through the glass. He lifted his head to meet my gaze, looking at me with a nervous, broken smile.

"You aren't really going to let them kill me, are you…?"

I forced my stone-cold face to remain unchanged, even though I expected he might say something like that.

"There's nothing I can do. It's out of my hands," I answered, straightly as I could.

Suddenly, Betrayus began to chuckle disquietingly. Clearly he was unhinged, but somehow, bemused.

"Really? You're quite influential, you know. Everyone trusts you… they always have, ever since we were kids...

'Stratos Spheros is the most popular boy in school! He has more friends than anyone! He's good at sports and gets perfect grades! He's nice and polite, smart and talented… handsome too! Who wouldn't look up to him? Who wouldn't listen to _everything_ he says?'"

I refused to react, only tightened my fists at my sides without responding. Listening to him continue, his words just grew more scathing and bitter.

"Even mommy always loved you more. And why wouldn't she? You made her so proud… Me? They never _planned _for _me._ You were the only child they wanted. That's why daddy left…"

Finally I said something, but put as little emotion into it as possible. "So you were jealous and wanted attention?"

"Jealous? JEALOUS…?!"

He started to laugh again, getting louder and more deranged until he venomously spat…

"OF COURSE I WAS _JEALOUS!_

I spent my whole LIFE in your shadow! And you and everyone else were so surprised that's what I became… your dark and wretched shadow. But what did they expect? We're a colorful people… one look and they knew something was _wrong_ with me. 'Look at Stratos's weird, _white _little brother! Shouldn't he be green like him? Or any color at all?! What a _freak!_'

Isn't that right?"

I didn't move or speak another word, instead my mind traveled back to when Betrayus and I were children. One day he came to school having painted himself red, which was his favorite color. I took a hose and sprayed him with water, washing all the paint away. The other students and I laughed at him as he cried, before he ran home soaking wet.

Now that memory felt like thousands of needles piercing every inch of me... not that I let it show. I wasn't going let him see my pain, my weakness… or even my regret.

I only narrowed my eyes at him as cold sweat dripped down my neck.

"I didn't join the military to be like you. Oh no...

I did it prove I was BETTER than you!

THAT I'VE _ALWAYS _BEEN BETTER THAN YOU!"

He shouted with as much scorn as pride.

"And once I showed them all how great I was, and they loved and feared me as their one and only eternal master… I was going to change the world…!"

He once more lowered his head, cackling under his breath. My efforts went into remaining aloof, something which was quickly becoming more and more difficult.

"I hear you're running for president.

Congratulations, _dear Stratos_, you win. You've been awfully quiet, but you know what you want to say, don't you? After all, you've said it before…

'You lose again, brother.'"

After that phrase escaped him, I saw him smirk.

"Obviously you'll get elected since the whole world loves you. Besides, it's not like there's any _yellow ones_ to rule us anymore. The war is over, you won and now you're a hero...

At least that's what they think. How's it feel, going from another government puppet to the one pulling the strings?

Shouldn't be much different, since you already control everyone by putting on a big fake smile and deceiving them right under their noses! Keeping secrets so they stay ignorant enough to believe you… and don't forget the propaganda! What was all this but a reminder not to rebel?

They've been so blinded all they see is a false idol, their beloved ruler of the so-called 'free world'. But you know what I see? I see you for what you really are...

I SEE A TWO-FACED LIAR WHO LET HIS OWN BROTHER DIE!"

"I HAD NO CHOICE!"

I was no longer able to contain myself and my outburst happened before I realized it. Yelling back at Betrayus, I slammed my fist against the glass, gritting my teeth. By this point I was shaking, and struggling not to break down from overwhelming despair.

"I'm not innocent but neither are you, Betrayus… because of you, several million people are dead. And now, even more are going to-"

I failed to finish my sentence. All the other soldiers and war criminals that we captured from my brother's army were also set to soon be executed, for what I had been told over and over again until I could believe nothing else, was the greater good.

"It doesn't matter how you try to justify it, or who or what you blame… _you're_ still the bad guy. You turned on us, and we had to fight back. You refused to surrender, so now… this is the only way to stop you."

My agonized words seemed to hang in the air for several moments, otherwise leaving everything quiet...

That all too suddenly changed by my brother's thundering, psychotic laughter. His head shot up and I saw his face was not that of someone sane… he now looked and sounded completely and irrevocably like the madman he was.

"Oh, Stratos, Stratos, STRATOS! You're even MORE OF A FOOL than I thought, and here I didn't think that was possible! Honestly thinking this is the end! THE WAR ISN'T OVER! IT WON'T BE OVER UNTIL EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN OF THIS WORLD KISSES THE SOIL BENEATH ME! UNTIL THEY SEE HOW PERFECT I AM AND HOW _PATHETIC_ YOU ARE! THAT I DESERVED EVERYTHING YOU EVER HAD!

MY SPIRIT WON'T REST UNTIL THEY PRAISE ME AS THEIR GLORIOUS AND EXALTED OVERLORD! MY SOUL IS A FIRE THAT WILL ALWAYS BURN AND CANNOT BE PUT OUT!

I'VE MADE SURE OF IT! THERE IS _NOTHING_ THAT CAN STOP ME NOW!

EVEN IN DEATH I WILL NOT STOP!"

As his ranting once more devolved into terrifying maniacal laughter, I was left staring, stunned into speechlessness.

It was then without warning, the countdown clock above my head hit zero. I had stayed longer than I anticipated, and before I even had the chance to look away, time had run out.

It wasn't for seconds of watching my brother fatally convulse that I managed to shut my eyes as tightly as I could. Even though I couldn't see and the chamber behind the glass was soundproof, with the speaker still on I continued to hear the grisly buzz of electric shocks.

However, the most horrifying thing of all, was how he continued to laughed.

Betrayus kept laughing until it was no longer physically possible, and at last…

His body fell forever unmoving and silent.

The limousine ride home that night felt like years. I was lost in such misery and grief that if the driver ever once said anything to me, I'm certain I didn't notice. I simply sat without an expression or a single sound as we drove, more like an empty shell than a still living, breathing man.

In spite of everything… I wished I had gotten to say goodbye.

My thoughts disconnected me from the real world, trapping me in my mind no matter how much I wished they would disappear. Otherwise motionless until the car stopped, eventually I managed to turn my head to the window, gazing out at the illuminated city passing by.

I was reminded of the one thing that could put me at ease, if only slightly.

I never claimed to be a perfect man, or that my decisions were always the right ones, especially in my youth. But if there was one thing I cared for above all, it was the well-being of this world. I would sacrifice everything, even my own life, to keep everyone else safe. I swore to protect my fellow citizens, no matter the cost.

Whether or not I truly had a hand in what Betrayus became, I have more than paid the price. For as long as I lived, I would carry that guilt and irreplaceable loss…

And yet continue on as strong as I could, for the good of our entire civilization.

I expected getting to sleep that night would be a challenge, though once I was finally home in bed I closed my weary eyes and hoped to drift out of consciousness soon.

It could have only been minutes before I heard a voice.

I wondered if I was dreaming already, but as I was suddenly stricken with a strange, eerie feeling, I slowly began to lift my eyelids again...

Before my eyes shot open as wide as they could go.

For a moment, I swear my heart stopped and no air came in or out of my lungs except for the most infinitesimal gasp. I was chilled to every last bone in my body, never in my life having been more frightened...

But the most bloodcurdling thing of all was that I knew this was no nightmare.

Floating above me, in an unearthly red glow, was a ghastly visage that ended my mourning sooner than I ever could have imagined.

"What did I tell you, _brother?_"


End file.
